Risen
by Anubis Monori
Summary: The year is 2025. A mysterious man revives the dataDyne Corporation with even darker dreams than Cassandra had...
1. Preparation

Disclaimer: I don't own Perfect Dark. Rare does. So please don't sue me! I bet you'll like the story when you read it! Also note that all original characters are owned by me. These are completely made up in my mind, and are not meant to depict any actual person.

"Joanna, wake up!" Jonathan yelled, and turned on the lights. "You need to get up!"

"It's only 5:30. How about five more hours?" Joanna replied.

"How about a drink?" Jonathan grabbed the pitcher of fruit punch on the end table near her bed and dumped it on her.

"Ah! Jonathan! That's cold!" Joanna yelled. She fell out of bed, then slowly got up, dusting herself off.

"Well, as long as I'm up, I might as well get dressed," she grumbled.

"Uh, you might want to go to the bathroom first. It seems to be that time of month."

Joanna looked down. "You dirty son of a bitch!"

Jonathan laughed as he ran out of the room, narrowly missing a lamp being thrown at him.

- - - - -

"Sorry to wake you this early, Jo," Carrington began as she came into his office. As usual, he didn't wait for any reply. "Just because the dataDyne building is gone, doesn't mean our problems with them are gone as well." The holographic picture of a man appeared behind Carrington. He looked to be in his thirties, black hair, with a beard and mustache. "This man is William Faww. He is an ex-astronaut who had a close relationship with Cassandra de Vries. When she was captured, he quit his job and searched the planet, with no luck, of course. After a couple months, everyone he knew lost contact with him."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Joanna asked.

"Joanna, this man has revived the dataDyne Corporation. We aren't sure how he got the money or the support. Jonathan is prepared to infiltrate the organization. He got this video last night." He turned a television on and pushed "play" on the DVD. It started playing, and it showed William making a speech at his desk in the new dataDyne building.

"As you all know, the dataDyne Corporation was destroyed two years ago, by the Carrington Institute, led by Daniel Carrington. Cassandra de Vries went missing the same day her building collapsed, which was not by coincidence. I know Daniel must have killed Cassandra himself, trying to destroy dataDyne. It seemed as though he had the world convinced he was doing this for the good of mankind. However, I, realizing that this man wants no less than world domination, decided to put a stop to him. That is why I need you to join. Together, we can stop this man, before he kills more people for his evil plans." The tape stopped.

"He's showing this to all of his recruits," Carrington said. "He knows what really happened, of course, but wants to make people believe that we are evil and they are good."

"It looked like he did a pretty good job to me," Joanna said, dumbfounded at what she had seen.

Carrington ignored her. "You should go to Grimshaw now. He said he would have more information about Mr. Faww."

- - - - -

Grimshaw sat down and began typing. "Hmm, let's see. William Faww. Age 39. Astronaut for NASA until 2 years ago. He quit the day after Cassandra was captured by the Skedar. His last mission was a week before that. He sent a satellite into space….

"This satellite held devastating power. It could point a beam of light at Pluto. NASA was going to use this for space research, but Faww gained control of it through strong associates and bribes, even though he didn't work there any longer. We don't know what he's using the satellite for, though."

Joanna stared at the picture of the satellite on Grimshaw's computer. "Very interesting. Now, what would a man like William Faww want with a satellite and the planet farthest away from the sun?"


	2. Mission 1

"Joanna Dark, meet Raymond Weldon."

They shook hands. "Nice to meet you."

"Call me Ray. The pleasure is all mine."

"Yes, it is. Carrington, who is this man?"

"He is an ex-dataDyne agent, an expert hacker. He will be aiding you in your next mission."

"Mission?"

"Yes. You are to infiltrate the new dataDyne headquarters and hack into Mr. Faww's computer."

"And why can't I use the Data Uplink?"

"Because," Ray cut in, "I can get in where the Uplink can't. It doesn't know the passwords I do. Besides, if I can hack into your computer, I could easily get into one of my old ones-" he held up a paper with her picture on it "-Miss Joanna Marie Dark."

"Give that back!" She let out a cry and chased him out of the room.

Carrington sighed and closed the door. "Well, they're getting along fine."

- - - - -

Joanna and Ray walked through the door. A secretary was sitting at a desk just inside. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Is William Faww here?" Joanna asked.

"Do you have an appoint-" she looked up. "You!" She pointed at Ray. "I'm calling security." She pressed a button, and five guards came running in.

"I was hoping it wouldn't happen like this." Joanna knocked out the secretary. Ray pulled out a CMP-150 and wasted the guards. Joanna gave him a skeptical look. "You think I turned in my gun when I quit?" Ray asked.

"Forget it; let's just get to Faww's office." She looked on the secretary's computer as Ray quickly typed. "It's on the top floor. Figures."

"Hey! You!" A guard saw them and started to run away.

"He's going for backup!" Joanna chased after him, but stopped when she rounded the corner. Five more guards, guns drawn, advanced toward her. She ducked under the bullets and rolled to the other side of the corner. She grabbed a CMP from one of the dead guards, just as the group rounded the corner. Joanna and Ray returned fire, using desks as shields. The guards fell quickly.

They cautiously got up. "Somebody must have heard that gunfire. We'd better hurry to the elevator."

"Jo, wait a second." Ray ran up to her. "dataDyne's standard floor plan includes a security room on the bottom floor. Anyone can easily use the computers and call for reinforcements, either from inside the building or out. We need to find the room so I can jam the signals."

Joanna nodded, and turned the corner, gun going first. There was no one, so she continued down the hallway. At the end was a door, and the hallway continued to the right. Joanna opened the door to see three guards and two technicians, all armed.

She muttered a curse as she and Ray ran out of the way. The guards ran out, but didn't have enough time to see that the hall in front of them was empty. They entered the room to find the two technicians, each with a Falcon 2 in their hand. They were easily overpowered.

"This is definitely the room." Ray went to each computer, hacking into it or using an ECM mine. "Hm. I'm pulling up some interesting information, especially about the satellite. It seems like a lot of work has gone into it. It's been redone so that people can live on it, with gravity and oxygen flowing through a ventilation system. From these plans, it looks like it's used as another base: sleeping quarters, training grounds, the works.

"There's more as well. They use fusion generators to power the satellite, but it also adds power to the beam of light." Ray shook his head. "I was never told why he wanted that thing. I can't figure out what it is, but I doubt it's simply space exploration."

"Well, maybe there will be more information on his personal computer. We should get going." Ray nodded, and they continued.

The hallway ended with elevators at the side. Joanna walked over and pressed the button, calling the elevator down. They waited, not noticing the camera above them. An alarm within the building started to ring.

"Shit!" Joanna shot out the camera. The alarm eventually stopped as the elevator door opened. They ran in, reloading, as the elevator door started up. "I hope the rest of this trip goes smoother."

Just as she finished, the elevator stopped. "You just had to open your mouth." He checked the screen above the buttons. "We're still two floors away from the top. A technician must have stopped the elevator between floors. We have to get the door open." Ray threw down his gun, and tried to slide the doors open. "…It…won't…budge." He stopped to take a breath. Joanna went over to the buttons and pressed the "open door" button. The door slid open. "There are easier ways to get things done." Laughing at him, she threw him his gun and stuck her head out of the elevator.

"There is the door a few feet away." Gripping the top of the elevator, she swung from the front onto the top of it. "There, just swing up. Pretend you are a gymnast." He instead pushed open the door at the top, jumped, and then pulled himself up with her. "There are easier ways to get things done." He said mockingly.

"Cute. Do you have something to open the door?"

A guard opened the door and began firing. He hit Joanna in the arm. "Never mind." She shot back, and hit him in the leg. Stumbling, he fell into the shaft, screaming out. "Now what?" Ray asked.

"Now, we jump." She got a running start and leaped over the couple of feet. Grabbing onto the ledge with her uninjured arm, she pulled herself up and motioned for Ray to follow. He jumped, grabbed onto the ledge, but his body slammed into the wall hard, making him scream in pain. Joanna laughed as he pulled himself up.

"Maybe I should have told you to wear a cup."

"Alright, alright, shut up. Let's just get up to the top floor."

- - - - -

Joanna kicked open the door. The office was casual, and surprisingly empty. It only had a lone desk and chair, with a computer sitting on top of it. "Here, take the gun for right now." Ray ran over, sat in the chair, turned the computer on, and began typing furiously, while Joanna guarded the door.

"Almost got it! Joanna, come see this!"

She ran over. "What is it?"

Before he could show her, William Faww stepped in to the room with a Magsec 4 in his hand. "Enough games. Get away from my computer, spies!" he shouted. Joanna pointed her CMP-150 at Faww, but two guards began firing their Magnums. She jumped out of the way, and fired back. Meanwhile, as Ray stood up, Faww fired, hitting him in the arm and chest. He reloaded, and pointed his gun at his body.

"Hold it!" Joanna had her gun point-blank range at his head, while three bodies lay on the ground.

"Aw, too bad. I missed the heart." He began to laugh.

"Shut up!" Before she could pull the trigger, there was an explosion, and more guards appeared. Joanna began to fire, while Faww slipped away behind the guards. She continued firing, taking out as many as she could before she was hit. Soon, she realized they weren't aiming at her. The computer behind her cracked as the bullets hit it.

"Damnit!" She killed the last guard and ran over to Ray. "Faww's gone now. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I've had worse," he grunted as he sat up.

"Are you sure? You're bleeding badly."

"All this compassion is coming from the woman who laughed at me earlier." He forced a smile and struggled to get up. "Come on, let's go."


	3. Mission 2

The Jumpship sped along, going its usual top speed.

"Why do we need to make this stop? Can't we just head straight to the satellite?"

"To be honest with you, Joanna, we can't find it."

"What do you mean? How can you hide a satellite?"

"Well, Faww has the technology to do that. It's a kind of 'curtain' that cloaks anything inside of it. He's produced it on a much larger scale. It also hides the satellite from radars and navigational equipment."

"So what? We can fly around the Earth's orbit until we fly through it and find the satellite!"

"It's not that easy. He has space mines surrounding it, and those are cloaked as well. Even if we could see it, I'm not going to waste the time or people to take wild shots at the sky. Grimshaw is doing the best he can to override the system, and with some of the Maians' technology, we should be able to reveal the satellite and the mines that surround it." He stopped to take a breath, but not long enough for Joanna to say anything. "Even if we knew everything already, with all of the troops from the bases, you would be overrun. So, instead of sitting on your ass all day, you can help mop up the ground forces by taking out this training facility."

"…What about the other facilities? And his headquarters?"

"Other agents are taking care of the other facilities, and his headquarters is completely deserted. We suspect he moved it, with a portion of his force, onto the satellite."

"Okay, what about this base?"

"Normally, Weldon would be going with you. However, he is still recuperating; plus, he wasn't trained here. Jonathan signed up as a recruit, and was transferred here."

"Which is why this is the one I was assigned," Joanna muttered sarcastically.

Carrington ignored her. "Your mission is simple. Get in, meet with Jonathan, and place enough of the explosives to bring the building down. Engage anyone with a weapon as you normally would."

"Does that include Jonathan?"

"I'm being serious, Joanna. If there is a mistake, Faww will still have the manpower to threaten us. We need these buildings down. Do you have any other questions?"

"Where-"

"Of course you don't. You should be coming up to the training facility. And this time, try to find another way in, not the front door. Carrington out."

Joanna groaned. "Left in the dark, as usual." The ship stopped, and she jumped out.

Landing on her feet, she pulled out a Falcon 2, loaded it, and put a scope on it. She ran over and stopped at a bush. Two guards were talking. She stood and fired two shots, and continued after they fell. They had been standing in front of a door. She was about to open it when she remembered what had happened before. Instead, she ran around the sides of the building, ducking under windows.

"There it is!" She ran up to the ventilation shaft, which was covered by a grate. Putting away her gun, she got a grip on the sides. After a struggle, the grate was pried loose.

"What's all the comm – hey!" The guard pulled out a K7 Avenger. Thinking quickly, Joanna hurled the grate at him. He fell to the ground, unconscious. She checked to see that no one else would come, and crawled into the shaft.

Joanna got out at the other end, dusting herself off, and pulled out her Falcon 2. This time she slipped a silencer on it as she looked around. She had come out into a long hallway, filled with doors. One in particular was marked "Security." She opened that door and peeked inside. It looked empty, so she walked in.

The room was dark, except for the glow of computer screens. The screens were connected to cameras, and one appeared to be in almost every room, but luckily, not in the hallways. An alarm was on the wall next to the screens. An electronic map of the building was lit up to the left of the screens.

"Five floors. Mostly training facilities and classes of some sort." She looked over at the screens. "Now where would Jonathan be…? There!" As she was looking over the screens, she saw Jonathan enter the showers with a group of men. She stood, and just as she was about to leave, a guard pistol-whipped her from behind. She crumpled to the ground.

"I knew someone had broken in. Help me carry her; we'll take her to Faww." Her eyes were still closed. The two guards grabbed Joanna's legs and arms. As they were lifting her, she grabbed her gun and shot both of the guards. A third peeked in to see what had happened, and she took him out before he could start running. She stood up, brushing herself off. No one came at her, so she quickly ran down the hallway.

"I think this is it," Joanna muttered to herself. She put her ear to the door. Men were talking inside. She reloaded her gun and put a CMP in her other hand. Taking a breath, she opened the door.

"Alright everyone, put your hands up! Don't move and you might get away with your lives." The men were in various stages of undress. They all put their hands up, except for one. He grabbed a gun from his locker, but before he could fire, Jonathan punched him and wrestled it away from him. The others took advantage of the distraction and picked up their guns as well. Joanna and Jonathan quickly killed them, even before they could load their weapons.

Joanna walked up to Jonathan and glanced down. "Well, looks like you're happy to see me."

"I don't know what it is about pretty girls and guns…" he replied. She rolled her eyes and turned around to walk out.

"Come on. You have the chance to have all of your passionate dreams come true."

Joanna threw a towel at him. "Get dressed."

- - - - -

Jonathan walked out, buttoning his shirt, his magnum at his side. Joanna was leaning against the wall just outside the door.

"I'm assuming Carrington briefed you."

He nodded. "We have to bring the building down. What explosives did you get?" She pulled out what looked like a larger version of a Remote Mine. "I've got six of these."

Jonathan laughed. "Maybe if we were taking out a bakery. There's a weapons room on every floor. Follow me." Joanna was about to make a comeback, but he was already walking. She bit her tongue and followed him.

"There aren't many guards down here on the bottom floor. Some days the building is open for tours, so most of the training, as well as most of the instructors and trainees, are on the floors above us."

"Well, Faww certainly likes to appeal to the public."

"He's the 'good guy'…. Well, we won't have to go to any of the upper floors. If the structure is weakened on the bottom floor, it will collapse in on itself." He slid a security card through the reader. A light on the door flashed green, and Jonathan opened it. Before stepping in, he shot out the camera.

"Wow." Joanna looked around. Any hand-held weapon known to man seemed to be in here, as well as several devices. Jonathan went into a corner and dug up a box. He opened it for her.

"Ten bombs in all, made using C-4. If they're put in the right places, we can take the building down." He got out a map and pen. "I've been doing some reconnaissance. We can put them in the corners of the building, and weak points look to be here, here, here…" He continued, marking on the map. He then handed it to her, along with five bombs. "We can split them up, half-and-half. We'll get more done that way."

"Fine. I'll take the left set of five."

"Works for me. And, just so you know, these bombs have a six-minute timer after you place them. Of course, when the first goes, they all go, so we only have six minutes to do this and get out."

"That won't be a problem." She looked around the room. "However, we might need more firepower." She pulled out a Superdragon.

"My magnum is good enough for me."

"Don't be stupid. Use this as well, at least." She threw him a Cyclone and started to walk out.

"Joanna, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Don't shoot the bombs."

"Thanks. I never would have figured that out on my own."

- - - - -

"Hey, Johnny, what's up?"

"Hey, Ted." He casually walked by the guard, then grabbed him from behind and snapped his neck. He fell to the ground. Looking around, Jonathan stuck another explosive on the wall.

"That's number four. Just one more to go." He checked his watch. "And two more minutes. I'd better get a move on."

Jonathan continued down the hallway until it ended at a large door. The door automatically slid open as he walked through.

He found himself in a large, empty, gray room. There were a few boxes scattered around. He didn't see anyone, so he shrugged and walked over to the corner. Before he could place the last bomb, a knife hit the wall. Jonathan whirled around, his guns out.

A woman was standing on a box, holding two knives. She had a long black ponytail and a sword, in its sheath, at her waist. Loose black armor, looking like leather, covered her chest, shoulders, and down to her knees.

"I know who you are, Jonathan. I have to say, I am very disappointed in you."

Not wasting time, Jonathan fired with both guns. The bullets didn't pierce her armor. She, on the other hand, threw the knives at him. He jumped out of the way of the first one and blocked the second with his Cyclone. He tried to fire back, but the gun jammed. He angrily threw it down as she ran at him, sword in hand.

He shot the magnum once, but she ducked under the bullet. "What the hell..?" Before he could fire again, she was on him, swiping with her sword. He jumped, barely saving his feet, and turned to run. She was already on the other side of him, her sword coming down. He put his gun up, blocking it. They stayed like that for a moment, locked together, both trying to overpower the other.

"My, what pretty green eyes you have." Her only response was a fist at him. He rolled backwards, then quickly getting up. She ran at him again, and he fired. The bullet didn't pierce the armor, but the force knocked her back. She paused for a second, and that was all Jonathan needed. He fired again, this time hitting her sword. It cracked, and shattered into pieces.

Seeing her weapons gone, the woman turned to run. Jonathan shot again, this time hitting her leg. She fell to the ground, grunting in pain. Jonathan put his gun to her head.

"You should know that I'm very disappointed in the skill of the woman who came to kill me." He fired a shot; then looked down at his watch. "Forty-five seconds. I hope Jo hasn't gotten into any trouble."

- - - - -

Joanna opened the door to find a room much like the one Jonathan had previously been in. This time, however, armed guards were behind all of the boxes. They immediately opened fire on her. She hid behind a column, firing back carefully. She checked her watch.

"Thirty seconds! I don't have time for these assheads!" She chucked the bomb into what she hoped was the right corner, and then ran out the door. Running down the maze of hallways, while avoiding the guards behind her, she ran up to the entrance. Jonathan was casually leaning against the door.

"What the hell are you waiting for?"

"I wanted to catch another glimpse of your bright, smiling face."

Joanna practically threw him out of the door as they started to run. They continued running until they heard the explosion. Getting a safe distance away, they turned around to watch the building collapse. A light rain had begun to set in.

"You know, with everything that's happened, I feel like we've become a lot closer." He slyly slipped his arm around her. She picked it up and let it fall at his waist. "Carrington said our Jumpship would be waiting for us at a nearby clearing. Let's get going."


	4. Mission 3

As usual, Joanna had only a few hours to sleep, eat, shower, dress, and prepare for the next mission. She walked into Carrington's office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Joanna! Good, I'm glad you got here early. You should know that the strike missions were a great success. Faww has drawn back almost all of his forces onto the satellite. However, we might have been… let's say, too successful…"

"Too successful? What are you talking about?"

"In some of the missions, our agents were killed or captured. One of the agents captured spilled everything about our plans: Faww now knows we've taken down every other building, he knows we plan on attacking the satellite; what's more, he has proof that it's us.

"Last night, I got a call from someone in the FBI. We've been notified that the Carrington Institute shall be under investigation, because they 'never would have allowed a direct assault against another organization'. While we aren't being shut down, federal agents are coming in to keep an eye on us. The Institute was founded for space research, and although we've gotten some leeway, Faww seems to have more influence in the government. We've been ordered to turn over all of our technologies; should anything happen, they will have 'reinforcements' on call."

"How can Faww do this?! He's more of a rogue than we are!"

"Calm down, Joanna. I have legal aides working on it. It's just that all of our agents need to be informed. I'll have to confiscate your Falcon 2."

She handed it over, grumbling. "I don't see what the point is to all of this."

"Faww is just trying to shut us down. It won't work, don't worry. We've already contacted the Maians, and they are eager to give us a hand after what happened two years ago."

"At least Cassandra didn't hide behind authorities."

Carrington continued. "Now, Faww has been ordered to shut down the mines and cloaking device around the satellite, and inspectors plan on riding up to see what's going on. However, I want to make sure that he goes along with their plans. You need to shut down one last base so he can't still hide. He should be as naked as we are right now." He typed into a computer, and a holographic map of the Earth appeared over his desk.

"The only remaining forces of his still on Earth are located at this base. I've already given the pilot the coordinates. I got a hold of an old friend, and he's agreed to take a shipment of weapons out of the Institute so you'll still have something. You should leave as soon as you can, because-" Just then, two men in black suits and sunglasses walked into the room. Carrington turned off the map. Joanna didn't need to see a badge to know who they were.

"Good afternoon. Are you the man I talked to over the phone?" Carrington said politely.

"We are under orders to supervise all aspects of the services the Carrington Institute provides." His voice was monotonous.

"Excuse me." Joanna roughly pushed her way between them and out the door. She could hear them talking as she walked down the hall.

"We'll need a copy of all of the research you have on file, as well as what you get after this point. We also need a copy of the Institute's financial record since it was founded, and…"

- - - - -

"Alright, Miss Dark, we're almost there. There is a clearing in this forest, where we can land. Your supplies should already be down there." The Jumpship glided through the air and the pilot landed it silently on the clearing.

"You had better be just as quiet when you take off. We don't need another casualty right now." She stepped off of the Jumpship. The crate was close by.

Joanna ran over to the crate and threw off the lid. Of course, a Falcon 2 was inside. She also found a Devastator and an AR34. "Ooh. These will do nicely!" She grabbed the weapons as the pilot closed the door.

She ran out of the clearing into the jungle. There were just a few meters to cross to get to where the base was set up. She peeked out from a hiding place in one of the trees. "Hm… no guards patrolling the perimeter. Looks like the only way in is through the main door… nothing on the sides, or roof." She smirked. "Guess Faww learned his lesson."

Just then, the Jumpship silently flew across overhead. It was high enough so that no one could recognize it. However, the roof opened, and a turret with anti-air missiles began firing. The Jumpship's engine was hit, and the pilot fought desperately to find a clear place to make a crash-landing.

He never got the chance. As the ship came closer to the ground, a tractor beam snared it and pulled it into the base. As it settled down into the building, the roof closed above it.

Joanna couldn't breathe once everything was quiet again. "There… there must be a hangar at the top! I've got to get him out of there." She jumped down from the tree, rolled, and ran up to the building. Pushing through the door, she stepped inside the room.

The room was bare, without anything on the walls or any furniture. Stairs were at the opposite end, leading up to the next floor. She began to walk towards the stairs, her gun drawn, still seeing nothing. She stopped as she heard clanking from upstairs. It got closer and closer, turned a corner, and stepped down the stairs. Joanna's eyes widened.

A man was standing in front of her, looking more like an android. His entire body was covered in black armor. A black helmet sat on his head, with a glass visor. An oxygen tank was on his back, and the tube led into his mouth. Instead of gloves, the hands had been outfitted for large, mechanical claws. He laughed, his voice also sounding mechanical.

"You know, when we intercept an agent troopship without any agents, it's not hard to guess that they've already been dispatched. Plus, your entrance wasn't exactly quiet. And the front door…" He shook his head. "I can't believe you walked through the front door!"

Joanna's only response was an outcry, unloading a clip into his armor. The bullets bounce off. He laughed again. "What's with all of these enemies with bullet-proof armor?" Joanna muttered under her breath.

"My turn." Panels at the chest opened, and two small tubes flew out of the armor. They dropped on the ground, and opened, letting out a hissing sound. Joanna began to cough as the man took in an exaggerated breath from the tank. He laughed again. "Yes, it is gas. Don't worry, you'll be gone in a few moments."

"I'm sick of your damn laughter!" She pulled out the Devastator and fired. The grenade passed harmlessly by him and he laughed to rub it in. Even with her resolve, Joanna was starting to feel woozy. She shook her head to try and disillusion herself, and held her breath.

She straightened up to fire another shot, but the man was already on top of her. He swiped with his claw, knocking the gun out of her hand and throwing her back. Joanna landed hard, gasping, and now fighting to stay awake. Hearing a sickening crack, she looked up. He had stepped on the gun and crushed it.

She stood up slowly, with her hand against the wall. "Come on, Joanna," she whispered to herself. "There has to be a way to stop this guy…" She went through her mind, trying to think of anything. He came walking up towards her, the armor clanking with each step.

Her eyes brightened. She knew what to do. She got up the last bit of energy she had left, still holding her breath.

"Giving up? That's too bad. I was just starting to have some fun." He walked up closer to her, and she finally saw her chance. She ran, rolled behind him, and pulled out her Falcon 2. His legs bent as he turned, and she fired. The bullet went through a small opening in the armor where the knees bent, and the man screamed in pain. Discarding her gun, Joanna jumped on his, ripped off his helmet and oxygen tank, and secured it around her own mouth, breathing deeply.

"Gi-Give that back!" The man walked even more slowly now, dragging the armor and his leg while trying not to breath. Joanna kicked him in the face and he fell to the ground, unconscious. She grabbed her gun and walked up the stairs.

"At least this place is more ventilated." She took off the oxygen tank and set it down. She was in an office type of place, cubicles from one wall to the other, but it was empty. There were several open windows, allowing any gas that came in to go harmlessly outside. She crept around, trying to remain unseen. Two guards were walking down from the third floor.

"The fighting has stopped, so I guess that means he killed him."

"Him? You automatically assume the intruder was a man?"

"Well, who else but a man would have the guts to come in here? That pilot was a man."

"A woman can be just as dangerous as a man. Here, I'll show you!"

"Ow!"

They were rounding a corner, so Joanna ducked into a corner office to stay hidden. "I'm glad Carrington didn't ask for the silencer, too," Joanna muttered as she slipped it on. The door opened, and she hid under a desk.

"The threat's over. Get back to work! Scan over every room in this building, make sure no one else got in."

"Yes, sir." The door slammed as the man walked into the room. "Why am I put on surveillance? It's so boring. And they don't bother to move me up any floors, and-"

Joanna stood up and pointed her gun at him. "As much as I love listening to you talk, now you get to stop. Call for help, and I will shoot you. Now, there is a room in this building that controls the cloaking device around the satellite. Where would that happen to be?"

"Don't shoot!" The man hurriedly sat down, fumbling around on his keyboard. He nervously pushed up his glasses. "Um, h-here: on the next floor up. That pilot is on the same floor, and the hangar is on the fourth floor…"

The door flew open, and one of the guards burst in. "It's a trap! Our guy-" He saw Joanna and pulled out his K7 Avenger, but she fired first. He fell to the ground. Joanna turned to the man who was now cowering in his seat. She gave him a smile. "Thank you for your time." With that, she slipped out of the office and headed for the stairs.

As Joanna walked up the stairs, an alarm went off. "Damnit! That technician!" She ran up the last steps and into the first room she saw. It was just a small storage room. She heard footsteps running past her, down to where the alarm had originated. After it subsided, she slowly opened the door. Seeing no one, she made her way down the hallway.

She came upon a door marked "Restricted," which, for her, was an open invitation. She opened it, and inside were two technicians, looking over an array of computers. "I'll bet this is what I'm looking for… you two!" Both men turned around, and threw up their hands. "Is this what is powering the cloaking?"

"Yes."

"Good. Shut it down. What about those space mines?"

"Those were ordered to be detonated. We did."

She looked over the screens and keys on the terminal. "Surprising. You are telling the truth…. Hm? What's this…? The satellite has a shield?"

He swallowed. "Yes. I'll… shut it down."

As he was typing, another machine began to beep. The two technicians were too frightened to move towards it. She opened the door and locked them in a storage room like the one she had been in. "Trust me, it's for both of our goods." She walked back inside.

"Carrington would have my ass if I killed someone unarmed. Now then…" The machine continued beeping, and finally Joanna walked over to it. She pressed a button, and a small, holographic image of William Faww came up.

"…to glory! Message will repeat…. Attention, everyone. The time has come rid the world of the Carrington Institute. Two years ago, they killed Cassandra de Vries, and today, we will make them pay! Everything is set according to the plan. For everyone on board the satellite: prepare yourselves and your stations. To those on the surface: you aren't needed down there anymore. Get onto the shuttles as quickly as possible. I don't know how much damage we can do, but you had better be off of the planet. You will have 15 hours before we fire. Today, we create the road to glory!"

Joanna pushed a button and the message stopped. The top of the machine popped open, and she pulled out a disc. "Thank goodness for automatic recording. Now… what did he mean by fire?" She went through the room, pulling papers from random drawers, typing in keys at different screens. Finally, she pulled up a blueprint of the satellite. Having nothing else to record it on, she stuck in the disc and cycled through the information she had found.

"It originally came up almost bare. A few solar panels, to provide power to the light, the laser, to point the beam…" Her eyes widened in shock. "A laser! At close range, light like that can be deadly!" Her fingers flew over the keyboards. "Additions made for artificial gravity, oxygen, plants, buildings. More solar panels added for more power. The only room that has remained unchanged is… the one to turn on the laser. Of course, he wouldn't need to fix that."

She grabbed the disc out of its drive and turned to run out, but then stopped. "Right. The whole reason I came. I've got to take out all of the computer systems that power the satellite from down here. With any luck, that will buy us time." She looked at the disc. "Though, he did say… forget it. I've got to get this done, at least." She tried to find something to use, but realized that the only explosive she thought she would need had been destroyed: the Devastator.

She couldn't just fire bullets everywhere. That would take too much time, be too loud, and the wasted ammo might not even get into every system. As she sat down, she remembered. She pulled out the Remote Mines triumphantly. "Jonathan laughed at these. I can't wait to rub this in his face." She placed them on the computers.

Joanna ran out of the room to find five guards, armed with K7 Avengers, staring at her in the face. "You will come with us. Now."

She smiled. "Well, you got me. Guess you'd better just escort me out of here." The guards surrounded her, two at the "restricted" door. Joanna pressed the button on the detonator.

The explosion rocked the building. The two guards at the door were thrown onto the floor. A third was too distracted to see Joanna's fist coming at him. The last two scrambled for cover but were shot by the AR34.

Joanna made a run down the hall, trying to remember where the pilot was being held from the blueprints. An alarm started to sound, but she ignored it for the moment. She looked through the windows on doors, and in the room before the stairs, she found him. He was tied up on the floor of a small room. His face was bloody and bruised, his clothes were ripped, and blood stained the floor.

She ran in and quickly untied him. "Joanna, wait… There's no use. They've broken my leg. I can't stand up."

"That's fine. I'll carry you out of here."

"You don't have time. Do you know how many guards will have heard that alarm? You can't have me holding you up. For a moment, I hoped you might just skip me…" He smiled for a moment. "You know, you should be proud of me. They beat me, drugged me, and shot me in a couple of places, but I held on. I didn't tell them a thing. I…" He closed his eyes.

Joanna laid his head down on the floor. Another guard came in, and she shot him without even turning around. "I shouldn't stay." She looked down at him one last time, and then walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

No other guards were coming, yet. She ran up the stairs to the top floor. It was just a large hangar, with ships and crates everywhere inside. A small, glass-encased room was in the back. Joanna shot out the glass and started to run, alerting everyone in the hangar. Three guards ran after her, and she turned around to fire back at them, running backwards. She tripped, fell down, but rolled, getting up just as fast. The three guards were dead, so she could continue without hitting the other boxes.

She hopped over the window previously covered by glass. "I knew it. This is where the hangar's controlled from. She pressed a few buttons, first opening the hangar doors, then disabling the anti-air missiles and tractor beam. As she ran back out, more guards were coming in, so she fired into the crowd while running to the ships.

"Where's the Jumpship? I guess I can't really go looking for it now… I'll take this instead." She ran over to a Hovercopter and got in, turning on the controls. As the ship was warming up, more guards tried to get in. She turned to face the door, away from the cockpit. She turned back when they were all dead. There was still something in her way.

The man in the armor was standing in front of the Hovercopter, without a helmet and looking pissed. With his claws extended, he ran towards it, trying to break it down and get to her. Joanna laughed.

"You really need to learn when to die." She turned on the Vulcan cannon on the nose of the ship, aimed it at him, and fired. The force of the bullets knocked him back, tearing into his armor. He screamed out, struggling to get up. Joanna continued firing until he quieted and slumped over, dead.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Joanna fired up the engines. The craft burst out of the hangar, and she set a course for the Institute.


	5. Mission 4

"Mr. Carrington?"

Carrington awoke abruptly. "Joanna, what time is it?"

"2300 hours sir, or 11:00 at night."

"Did you just get back?"

"Yes sir. I've been a bit rushed today."

"I know, I know. It's better that you came in now. Everyone else is thinking I'm still asleep, so that means we can talk about everything that happened."

"Well, the mission was successful… but, shortly after dropping me off, the Jumpship was shot down. The pilot died."

Carrington nodded grimly. "I was hoping that wouldn't happen. We can't keep losing agents. We'll have problems as it is with tomorrow night."

"What's happening tomorrow night?"

"I've decided that's when our agents will infiltrate the satellite. No one from the training base survived, and Jonathan 'just happened to be out for a walk' when it was destroyed. He has been reassigned onto the satellite already. Other agents, less than thirty, unfortunately, will be available to head up to the satellite. That thing must be blown out of the sky, so neither Faww nor any other madman can use it.

"You'll need to be ready approximately 25 hours from now, at midnight. The next day is going to be rather boring. Catch up on a book, do some training, whatever you want to do to pass the time. I'm not sending anyone anywhere else until this satellite is gone."

"How are you going to sneak all of us out of here tomorrow night?"

Carrington grinned. "You'll all be inexplicably abducted by aliens."

- - - - -

Joanna checked her watch. She turned to the bush next to hers, whispering. "Ten 'til midnight. All ready?"

Velvet's whispers couldn't hide the excitement in her voice. "Of course I am. I can't wait to kick their asses."

"First time in outer space then?"

"Well, that's always a plus."

At this point, Maian saucers flew down from the sky. They hovered over each agent, beaming down a bright light on them. "Nice effects…" Joanna muttered as she floated up into a saucer.

Even after two years, Joanna was still as cramped in a saucer as before. Her pilot burbled something in his language, and she could tell from his hand motions that it basically was, "Buckle up." She twisted around to become as comfortable and safe as possible, and the ships began floating back up again.

It took only minutes to clear the Earth's atmosphere. Joanna found a place to be able to look out into space. It was as beautiful as she remembered. They were approaching the satellite quickly. While she looked around space, her pilot was pressing buttons and talking to the other ships.

Joanna peeked out. Next to the satellite, there was some sort of comet, but it wasn't moving. Something about it seemed familiar to her. She checked what she assumed was the radar. There was nothing there. She looked out again as they got closer. Her eyes widened.

"That's a Skedar assault ship!" Her pilot looked at her quizzically, pressed some buttons, and then they could hear Elvis' voice. "Joanna, what is it?"

"Elvis! Don't you recognize it? That's an assault ship! The one I was captured on."

There was a pause, and his now shaky voice came back again. "That… that's impossible. We destroyed the Skedar two years ago. There's no way…"

The assault ship turned towards the Maian ships as they got nearer. A hangar opened, and dozens of ships flew out. Joanna only recognized the shuttles, like the one Elvis had stolen before. They flew out at the Maians, guns blazing.

The Maian ships executed a countless number of maneuvers to get past the wave of Skedar ships. Joanna would have been thrown out around the cockpit is she weren't so cramped. Outside she could see guns firing and ships on both sides exploding.

One particular ship set its sites on Joanna's. Though her pilot was very good at maneuvering, he couldn't shake the Skedar. They exchanged shots, and the Maian circled around to try and get behind the Skedar. He opened fire, but the Skedar shot out small, flare-like projectiles from under the engines. These hit, starting a fire on the ship.

The Maian yelled angrily as he fought to keep control of the ship. Looking around, he saw the only place to land safely: the assault ship. Joanna realized what he was doing once the hangar got closer and closer.

"Damn. I don't want to have to go through this again." The ship slowed as it flew into the hangar. It slid against the bottom of the deck until it came to a screeching halt.

Recovering from the rough landing, Joanna and her pilot looked around. Ten Skedar had already surrounded the ship, Maulers drawn. The Maian opened the door and they emerged, hands in the air.

- - - - -

They were roughly thrown into a cell as the door slid shut. The pilot immediately ran over to the door controls, pressing random buttons. Joanna was about to ask a question, then remembered he didn't speak English. She stood patiently as he played around with the controls.

The door slid open, and the Skedar who had been guarding them turned. The Maian ran out and kicked, trying to trip the Skedar. It moved out of the way and swiped down at him. He rolled under its claw, and before it could turn around, he grabbed onto the tail and pulled. The Skedar was ripped out; its mechanical shell immediately fell over, useless. The Maian happily jumped up and down, stomping on the Skedar until it died.

He grabbed the Mauler and said something in his language. With his hand motions and the fact that he started walking right afterwards, she guessed that he said "Follow me." They found an elevator and walked into it.

The elevator took them one floor up; very similar to the one they had just been in. "I'll bet this is another cell. We'd better check and see that no one else was captured. The Maian recognized it as well, and pressed a button on the Mauler. It began to glow red.

They could hear footsteps getting closer to the elevator, and before Joanna could react to it, the Maian jumped out and fired. The Skedar cried out and fell to the ground, dead. She walked out, taking its Mauler. They looked around, and she spotted the cell. She ran up to it, her pilot backing her up.

Joanna opened the door and a foot swung at her. She grabbed the foot with one hand and pointed her gun at the man. They both stopped suddenly. "Ray? What are you doing here?"

"Our ship was captured by the Skedar. I thought you were another one coming in…. You know, you can let go of my foot now." She let go, and he brushed himself off. He looked down at the body next to him. "They killed my pilot. I was afraid I was next."

"Let's get a move on. We need to get out of here." Joanna walked out of the cell as another Skedar walked into the room. This time, she got off the first shot, and it slumped to the ground. She threw Ray the gun as they ran to the elevator.

The elevator took them up another floor, into the hangar. "Hm. I've noticed this is pretty similar to the one I was on before. I thought they would have made more changes to the design." She drifted off into thought until gunfire shattered her concentration.

"Kiss my alien butt!" A Phoenix was heard, small explosions hitting a dying Skedar.

"Oh! You want some more?" Another Skedar cried out as it fell to the ground. Joanna recognized the shot of the Falcon 2. She also recognized the voices, and ran up to meet them.

"Elvis! Velvet! Mind if we join in?" The three shot off with their Maulers as more Skedar ran into the hangar. After a few minutes, it became silent. They regrouped near some doors.

"We saw the ships fly into the hangar, and decided we'd come and rescue you." Velvet smirked as she pulled up a hovercrate. She pressed a button and the top slid open. "Now, Carrington was able to ship us some of your weapons," Elvis began. He threw a Callisto to the other Maian. Joanna's eyes lit up as he handed her an RCP-120. "I guess I'll keep the Maulers." Ray took the two from Joanna and her pilot, then ran around the hangar, getting ammo from the dead Skedar.

"These doors should lead us deeper into the ship," Elvis continued. "If you didn't notice, the basic design is pretty much the same as before."

"I don't suppose we could just forget about it and continue on to the satellite," Ray said as he came back to them.

Elvis shook his head. "There are too many Skedar on this ship. We need to destroy it; otherwise, we'll have a lot more to deal with on the satellite. Now, there should be a room with a blueprint of the ship's interior. We'll have to find that first."

They all readied their weapons, and Joanna opened the door. The hallway was empty, but had bright lights and winding turns, like before. They ran through what seemed like a maze, finding no resistance. "I guess they all came out into the hangar," Elvis said. They finally came up to a door, and Joanna again opened it.

Inside were a small group of computers, and three Skedar typing into them. They turned around as soon as the doors opened, and fired at the intruders. With the new variety of weapons, the team easily wasted the Skedar. Elvis and the other Maian ran up to the computers.

"Well, this is what I was looking for." Elvis pressed different buttons on the computer. "That's interesting."

"What is it?" Joanna and Velvet said at the same time. The three humans stepped up to the computer screen.

"I pulled up the map. It seems like the Skedar found a new engine system. This one is bigger, uses more power, but it is a lot faster. There is, of course, a fatal flaw." Elvis continued typing. "It seems like the power to the engines are in a central part of the ship. Blowing up that system would stop the engines from running. However, the chain reaction from the explosions should be enough to rip the ship in half. Taking out the Skedar would be a lot easier if we can get there."

"Then it's settled. We need to get to that room. Let's go quickly, before the Skedar have a chance to regroup." Ray was almost out the door as he said this.

"Wait up!" Elvis shouted. "We can't blindly go through this maze. I've found the fastest route to the room, let me lead!" The rest of them ran to catch up with Ray.

They opened the door to find him already firing on two Skedar. Blood trickled down from his right shoulder. With a charged up shot from each Mauler, the two died as they walked out.

"You shouldn't be so trigger-happy. Are you all right?" Joanna looked over his wound.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it."

Joanna frowned, but said, "Alright then. Let's keep moving. And let Elvis lead this time."

Elvis led them through another maze of hallways and smaller rooms. Any Skedar they came across was easily defeated. After a few minutes of walking, Elvis stopped in front of a door.

"This should be it. Everyone be ready, there's bound to be more Skedar here now that we are this far into the ship."

As he opened the door, they found that last sentence was an understatement. At least seven Skedar in this room were armed with Maulers, five with Reapers, and several more were unarmed and just charged.

They split up, running around the room, firing at any Skedar that was in their way. Once the room had been cleared, they met up again on the other side. The Maian pilot was the only one to remain unscathed. A bullet had grazed Joanna's side; Elvis' Phoenix was in his other hand, his right arm shot; and Velvet had taken a hit in both her left arm and left leg. Ray had a few cuts after fighting with a couple of unarmed Skedar.

Elvis looked at the reactor in the central room. "Great. We have another problem. Destroying this would take out the engines, of course. However, we'd never make it off the ship alive. We'd either be caught in the explosions or sucked into space when the ship rips apart."

The other Maian started speaking in his own language. He sounded brave and surprisingly calm. Elvis shook his head, but translated for him.

"He says he wants to take it out. The rest of us can get back to a ship, and he'll stay behind to destroy the engines."

"There's no need to die as a hero," Joanna responded. "There must be some way we can do this."

"Did you by any chance get any explosives in that crate?" Ray suggested.

Velvet shook her head. "No. We had only a little time to smuggle weapons out and the others were given to other agents before we even lifted off."

Everyone was silent for a moment. The Maian spoke up again, and Elvis translated. "He says there is no other way. Someone would have to stay behind, and he wants to be the one to do it."

They looked at each other, and finally nodded in agreement. "Okay, let's get out of here then," Elvis said. "Give us five minutes." The pilot reloaded his weapon and found a safe place to snipe out intruders.

"We'd better get out then." Velvet led the way out of the room. Ray was about to run, then turned to the Maian. "Here. I guess you can use these more than I can." He laid down his Maulers next to him. The pilot smiled.

As the door closed behind Ray, they heard another door open and gunfire started. Joanna slowed and turned to go in, but he pulled her back. "Joanna, we don't have time to stop. We need to leave." She looked at the door for a moment, but continued with him.

They made their way back to the hangar, this time finding no resistance. "Okay. The only Maian ship we could use only has room for two people," Elvis said. "We should just steal one of the Skedar shuttles."

They all agreed and boarded the closest ship. As Elvis took the controls, Joanna looked around the ship. "There has to be some sort of first-aid kit aboard, right?"

"I found it!" Ray pulled it out and Elvis started the engines. Even in the hangar, they could hear the explosions starting. Elvis lifted off of the floor and flew out of the ship as it was destroyed.


	6. Mission 5, Part 1

"Unfortunately, I can't go with you. I need to get reinforcements. There are probably more Skedar we have to worry about." Elvis sounded disappointed.

"Don't worry about it," Joanna reassured him. "We'll meet up with Jonathan and the remaining agents. There are still enough of us to get through."

He nodded and got back into his ship. It flew out of the hangar. "So, no Maian help this time?" Ray asked.

"Like I said, don't worry. You seem to underestimate our chances here."

"Well, that and I've got no gun."

"Why don't you still have the Maulers?"

"I gave them to that other Maian guy. It seemed like he would need it."

Velvet pulled out her Falcon 2. "Well, then, we'll just have to get you another gun."

Joanna pulled out her RCP-120 as well. "Let's get a move on. I don't think we should stay in one place for too long." The girls started to run.

"Wait, Joanna!"

"What is it?"

"Remember how I said standard dataDyne building plans include an alarm system?"

"Yes." She groaned, already knowing what he would say next.

"We need to find the security room and shut it down again. I have a feeling I might know where it is. Try that door, to the left of the hangar."

Joanna and Velvet walked to the door, with Ray cautiously behind them. Joanna opened the door to find three guards, armed with K7 Avengers. The guards fired, and she jumped back behind the wall. Cloaking herself, she stepped forward again and shot all of them, this time before they could react. Ray peeked in and, seeing that they were dead, ran over to get the guns. "Alright, follow me."

"You know where you're going?"

"Nope. But I have a feeling I can find the room."

They continued down the hallway. Though there were many doors, but he never stopped to see if they were even unlocked or not. Reaching the end of the hallway, he looked around. He opened one door and killed the two guards inside. He then walked in, Joanna and Velvet close behind.

Ray was right. The room was filled with computers and he went to each one, typing in keys. "Alright, I'm shutting down alarm systems… there seems to be a (weaker) secondary shield around the satellite, I'll shut that down too… here we go! I found a map for this place."

"It seems like the standard dataDyne floor plan also includes a map." Joanna said sarcastically. Ray pulled up a holographic image so all three could look at it.

"Okay, the room we want to get to is here. That houses the core of the satellite, which takes in the energy the solar panels get and provides power to the satellite. That's why it's called a power core." Joanna and Velvet rolled their eyes and he continued. "If we can destroy the power core, all of the energy wouldn't have a place to go, so it would build up. Think of it like filling a balloon with air until it pops. I'd say we'd have about three minutes until the satellite 'pops.'"

"Is that all we need?" Velvet asked. Ray nodded. "Then let's get going."

They walked out of the room opened the door right across from the previous one. A set of stairs led up to another door, which opened onto the second floor. They opened the door and a timed mine exploded, sending Joanna flying back into a wall and filling the doorway with smoke. Velvet and Ray grabbed her and ran back, while six guards chased after them.

Velvet ran backwards to fire at them, while Ray got cover for Joanna while she recovered. She threw down her Falcon 2 for a moment, grabbed Joanna's gun, and unloaded a clip into the guards. They tumbled down the stairs, dead.

By now, Joanna was standing up straight, without Ray's hand. She took her gun back and Velvet picked up her Falcon 2. They walked up the stairs again, opened the door, and this time no mine exploded. They stepped through, finding only one guard who was surprised that his allies didn't win. Ray came out first and shot him.

"Where are we now?" Joanna asked.

"I believe the cells are close by. We are in a very small, isolated area of the satellite, so these levels will be small."

"Good! We haven't seen any of the other agents. We can find out who was captured, and get them out."

"No. We don't-"

Velvet interrupted him angrily. "What do you mean no?"

"We would have plenty of time after destroying the core. Besides, we don't have extra weapons for them. I don't want any other agents getting killed."

Joanna hesitated, looking at Velvet. "We should get out who we can," Velvet answered. "We can get weapons for them, the extra firepower wouldn't hurt, and I really don't want them stuck in there for more than they have to." Joanna hesitated for a moment, thinking about both sides. Finally, she made a decision. "I don't like any people getting killed who don't need to either. If we're sure that we can get them out in time, I'd like to keep them safe."

"It's the right choice," Ray reassured Velvet. She just sighed, and they continued on.

They came to a part where the hallway forked, one part continuing forward and one part turning right. The girls looked at Ray. "From what I remember on the map, we should continue forward." They both nodded, and continued on.

In this hallway, there were many doors. They were all locked, and Joanna assumed that these were the holding cells. Ray confirmed that as they walked on. They came to a door, and opening it, found another set of stairs. And found two more guards patrolling the stairs.

One guard was right in front of the door, so Ray smacked him with his gun. With one headshot from Velvet, the other guard went down. Joanna had raised her gun, but didn't get time to shoot. She just shrugged and continued behind them.

The door opened into a small corridor. At the end of it was another door. "That door should lead to the room with the power core." Joanna just nodded and led the way. Pausing to let everyone get ready, she opened the door.

Inside, the room was a dark shade of blue. The lighting was poor, except for a column in the center. It had lights, screens, and buttons on it, to monitor everything on the satellite. Another flight of stairs was at the right, leading to a grated catwalk that circled around the room. William Faww was standing on the catwalk opposite of the door. Ten guards, including Jonathan, surrounded the door, pointing their guns at the intruders.

"Throw down your guns. I think they've won this round." Ray threw his down, and the other two followed. Three guards ran to pick them up; then returned to their spots.

Faww began to laugh. "Well, I suppose that's what I get for underestimating Carrington. I didn't think he had any competent agents. Too bad you won't get any farther."

"You think hiding behind a few boys is going to stop me from killing you?" Joanna spat out.

He laughed again. "I'd love to see you try it. Especially now."

She ran at him. "Don't kill her," Faww said casually. Two guards grabbed her and held her back, while a third punched her in the stomach. She was dragged back, gasping for air.

"Well, you're more foolish than I thought. That doesn't matter now. I think you can guess what the first target of this satellite will be. I'm going to be getting you later; I'll enjoy seeing your face as the Institute is decimated. Won't you, Ray?"

He smiled as he crossed over to the guards' side. "It will be enjoyable." He took his K7 Avenger back.

"What?" Joanna and Velvet both growled at the same time.

"Come on. You think I knew the layout of the dataDyne building and satellite by glancing at a little map for a few seconds? You think I was worried about the agents' safety?" It was his turn to laugh.

"How? Faww shot you in the chest earlier!"

"Special armor. Slowed bullets down. They still got in enough to bleed, for the effect, but he could have shot my heart at point-blank and I wouldn't have died. You really are foolish."

"Yes, yes, enough talking," Faww cut in. "I'm getting tired of it. Jonathan, take the girls away. We'll let them out again so they can get front row seats for the end of their precious Carrington."

Ray's eyes lit up as he heard Jonathan's name. "Wait a second. We were planning on meeting up with Jonathan." Ray pointed at Jonathan. "That man is a traitor!"

Jonathan looked around nervously; then turned to Faww. "Come on. Why would you believe something so ridiculous?"

"Because it's coming from my second-in-command."

Jonathan cursed, shot one of the guards and tried to run. More ran at him to stop and disarm him. "Let him live as well. They can all watch it. Ray, I can trust you enough to take them away."

"Yes sir." With his gun at their backs, Ray led them out of the room, through the corridor, and down the stairs. At the stairs, Jonathan suddenly turned and tried to kick him. He grabbed the leg and twisted it, causing him to tumble down the stairs. The girls turned around as well, but his gun was already at them. "No, no, no. You see, I won't hesitate to shoot you."

They scowled, but turned back around. Jonathan got up and steadied himself. "Go. And stop trying all of these tricks." They continued down and into the hallway where the cells were kept. Ray opened one and shoved them in. "We'll come for you soon." The door slammed shut in front of them.

"Asshole. Well, sorry for pulling you into this too early, Jonathan." Joanna crossed her arms.

"Eh. Forget about it. Can you think of any ways to get out of this?"

"Well, when he opens the door again, you think we could overrun them?"

"I don't know how many guards he'll have. There's a good chance of us getting killed, or at least seriously hurt…"

Velvet wasn't even paying attention to their conversation. She reached down her shirt and pulled out a Data Uplink. She caught them staring at her. "What? I got it before Elvis picked me up. I wanted to make sure it stayed safe."

Joanna was the first to speak. "Wow. You certainly came prepared. Wish I'd thought of that."

"You know, I would've gotten that out for you if you'd asked."

Velvet rolled her eyes and walked over to the door controls. "Good thing these are on both sides. It's locked, of course, but this will do the trick." They heard the familiar scanning sound, and then a beep. "We're ready." She opened the door and peeked out. "All clear."

Joanna and Jonathan followed her. "Well, we know where two of these corridors lead. I wonder where the third goes…" Joanna thought aloud. An alarm broke all of their concentrations. They looked up.

"Why didn't anyone notice that before?" Jonathan demanded.

"The alarms were off! It wasn't a problem before!" Joanna jumped up, grabbing hold of the camera, and ripped it out of the wall. Guards were already running at them, so Joanna threw the camera at them. The guards flinched for a moment, and the three ran up, grabbing guns and knocking them out. Joanna, Velvet, and Jonathan stopped once every guard was on the floor and each had a K7 Avenger. "We need to go back down and disable these alarms. And let's hurry, before anyone else comes." Joanna led the way back and down the stairs. They only stopped to kill the flood of guards that were either chasing or confronting them.

They burst through the door at the bottom floor, killed the guards in this hallway, and ran across to the security room. More men were guarding it, and were easily killed. "Which one did Ray say shut off the alarm?" Velvet pulled out her Uplink again.

"I think it was over here." Joanna went over, helping her sister find the right computer. Jonathan watched the door, his trigger finger itching. He got his chance as more guards came in. After emptying his clip, he tried to reload, but another guard came in. He quickly struck him over the head with his gun. "Hurry up and shut off that alarm!"

After a few more seconds and typing, Velvet yelled triumphantly, "I've got it!" She used the Data Uplink and the alarms were finally silent. "Finally. Let's see what else we can damage from here."

The number of guards thinned out, and Jonathan had no problem taking out anyone else who came inside. The girls continued typing on the computers. After a few minutes, they walked back up to him. Joanna began. "Okay, we've done all we can here. The shields, power to the laser, that all can be stopped once the power core is gone. Ray said we'd have about three minutes to get out."

"The guards have stopped coming, thankfully," Jonathan responded. "With the alarms off, they probably just assumed we're dead. There are plenty of hangars, easily accessible from here, and enough ships to get everyone out, even if all of our agents are only captured. Which, in reality, is highly unlikely."

Joanna nodded. "Okay. Let's go up, rescue the survivors, hopefully find enough weapons for them, and take out that power core."

"Ray and Faww will also die," Velvet said angrily.


	7. Mission 5, Part 2

They walked outside of the security room. "Any way you can lock this, Jonathan?" Joanna asked. "Just so we don't have to worry about it again."

Jonathan pressed a button inside the room and slipped out before the door slid shut. "It's all taken care of. No one will be able to come back in here."

They continued up the stairs and opened the door. The second floor was deserted, at least from what they could see. Joanna led the way to the fork. They looked around.

"Okay, before we get back to the core, let's see who survived from our group. Velvet, use the Data Uplink."

Velvet walked over, pulling it out. She typed into it and into the door controls. The Uplink made a loud beep, and she looked over, disappointed. "The guards locked down the doors after the alarm went off. There must be a key around here somewhere."

"Let's go down the right hallway this time," Jonathan said. They all turned down and started walking. This was empty as well. Doors were on each side, presumably more cells. A large window was on the side of the last door.

"The cells don't have windows," Jonathan commented. They put their backs to the wall, making sure no one inside would see them. He motioned with his hands, and Velvet stealthily moved to the other side of the door, still keeping away from the window. They all reloaded, and Joanna opened the door, her gun pointed out, with the other two behind her.

Inside were three guards. Upon seeing her, they stopped their conversation and held up their guns as well. Near the back was a small weapons locker. There was a table in the center, with cards and pictures randomly strewn about. Two guns were also on the table: a DY357 Magnum and a Falcon 2.

"Okay, there are three on each side here. I'm sure there's a-" Jonathan was cut off by the sound of gunfire. When the twenty-five bullets were spent, Velvet reloaded. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"They were distracted, and I don't like to wait. Besides, you talk too much…. I don't see the RCP-120 you had, Jo." She went over, got her gun, and tossed Jonathan his magnum. Looking at one of the pictures, she disgustedly tossed it aside.

Joanna meanwhile, looked over the dead guards. She stopped at the one closest to the locker, putting a hand into his jacket. She pulled out a key card. "Here we go. I bet this will unlock the prison doors." She tossed it to Velvet. "Both of you need to go out and get all of the survivors. Try your best to get them guns, too. I'm sure there are plenty lying around, even in here."

"Right," Jonathan said, and he and Velvet walked out of the room. They started down the hall when they realized that Joanna wasn't following. They turned around. "Joanna, what about you?" Velvet asked.

She came out adjusting her shirt. "I'm going after the power core. Hopefully, I can take it out and we can get the agents out of here." She looked up and saw Jonathan's face. "What? I like to have something for safekeeping, like Velvet's Uplink."

"I hope for your sake that thing doesn't go off."

"It won't, trust me. There are weapons in the locker, as I thought. More than enough for the survivors. And here, take these." Joanna tossed them each a shield. All three activated theirs. Jonathan and Velvet went to the doors, and Joanna continued down the hallway.

She turned right, went up to the door, and opened it. She found, to no surprise, the stairs to the third floor. Walking up the stairs, a guard saw her began to shoot. She ducked, ran back down, opened the door, and then hid under the stairs. The guard ran down and through the open door, and was shot in the back by Joanna.

She walked up the stairs and opened the door. Another guard was standing in the small corridor, but with his back to the stairs. She knocked him out, walked to the other door, and opened it.

This time, ten guards weren't in the room. It was quiet, except for the hum from the power core. She looked around cautiously; the room was empty, from what she could see. Every corner was shrouded in darkness, so she stayed close to the door. She tried firing on the power core, but a shield on the top stopped the bullet.

She finally heard footsteps, expecting them a long time before now. Ray walked out from behind the core. "I would clap, but I have these Cyclones in my hands," he said. "In all honesty, I didn't think you would get out. But, I knew as soon as the alarm sounded that you'd eventually be back here." He patted the side of his hiding spot. "Too bad. After all that hard work, you realize it means nothing."

Without replying, she finished her clip on him. He, too, had a shield. "Remember Trent Easton? He had a shield like this. You'd be surprised how well it still works, even after finding his body in the cold snow, about… 7 months after the Air Force One crashed?"

Faww stepped out on the catwalk from the shadowed corner. "Yes, yes. Get on with it. The sooner you kill her, the sooner we can finish starting up this weapon."

"Am I not allowed to have any fun? I simply like laughing at her while she tries valiantly to kill me." Joanna reloaded, emptied out another clip, and then angrily dropped her gun. The bullets hadn't pierced the shield. "It was cute, but now it's over." Ray raised his Cyclones and fired.

Joanna ran, trying to keep the power core between the two of them. She soon realized he was using the magazine discharge function, one gun at a time. When he stopped to reload one, she charged at him.

The bullets he fired broke down her shield, but she was still able to grab a Cyclone and kick him back. He was right on his feet, and both had their gun at the other's head. "Can your little shield stop bullets from point-black range? After being in the cold so long, I bet it's weakened."

Ray smiled. "I can't wait to find out."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, do I have to do everything around here?" Faww pulled out a Rocket Launcher and shot one off at the two. They both jumped out of the way. While the explosion burned Joanna a little, Ray's shield still kept him protected. As she got up, she realized something. The shield had stopped bullets, but not physical attacks, like the kick. She reached under her shirt and pulled out a pocket knife. "I figured that guy wouldn't need it," she muttered as she opened it.

Faww shot off another rocket while Ray fired his Cyclone. She didn't know how, but she was able to get out of the way of the rocket and strafe past the bullets. She fired at Faww with the Cyclone, and he backed off momentarily. Ray stopped firing to reload, and that's when Joanna ran at him.

She knocked the gun out of his hand, but he blocked her next punch. She smiled. He still hadn't seen the knife. She went to kick him, and when he grabbed her foot, she stuck the knife into his chest. Ray looked down in disbelief, and fell to the floor. Unfortunately, he still had her leg and she fell down as well. She heard another rocket being loaded.

"I'm sick of you messing with my plans!" Faww shot a rocket at her, but this time the doors opened and Jonathan shot his magnum, hitting the projectile a safe distance from Joanna.

"Alright, Velvet, you owe me that date. I am a better shot with my magnum." They walked in with seven other agents, who all shot at Faww with their random weapons. He abandoned his Rocket Launcher and ran out a door on the catwalk.

Velvet and another agent started to run after him, but Joanna and Jonathan held them back. "Just wait," Joanna said. "We've got to destroy this power core."

A different agent was looking it over. "This shield will pretty much defend it from all gunfire. I doubt that Rocket Launcher would do any good either." He reached in to touch it, and though the shield went up, he was able to for a moment. "I've got it! We need a lever, some type of crowbar. If we're fast enough, we can wedge it in there and lift off the shield just enough so that it stops working."

They all paused to think for a moment. Joanna then walked over to Ray's body and pulled out the knife. "I don't know how strong it is, but it's thin enough."

"Alright, stand back everybody." Jonathan cracked his knuckles. "I can take care of this one." He walked over and took the knife from Joanna, then went to the power core. On his first try, he was too slow and the shield stopped it. On his second try, his missed and stabbed his finger. Joanna sighed and reached over to take it from him, but he held back her hand. On his third try, he successfully wedged it under the shield. He pushed down on the knife quickly, and it popped up just enough to remove its defenses.

"Wow. Good job!" Velvet ran over, gave him a hug and even a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you!" Jonathan hugged her back. "But I'm still taking you out on that date."

"Damnit..." Velvet stomped back over to her sister. Joanna reassuringly patted her sister's shoulder. She turned to everyone else. "Okay, the hangar is on bottom floor; Jonathan knows how to get there. Everyone else should leave now, get down to the ships. Just save a spot for me, because I'll be taking this out. And don't start saying that I'm the lone heroine who always wants get all the glory." Jonathan and Velvet clamped their mouths shut.

"Go!" They turned and ran out of the room. Even as she walked up to the catwalk, she could hear gunshots already. She picked up Faww's Rocket Launcher, aimed it, and shot the power core. When the smoke cleared, it was still standing.

"What the hell?!" Joanna ran down and realized that the shield still had a bit of power left in it. She ripped it off of the core, threw it to the ground, and stomped on it a couple of times for good measure. She walked up to the catwalk for the last time and shot off a rocket. This time, it was decimated. "Three minutes." Joanna was about to go down the catwalk, then remembered Faww, and ran through the door he had gone into.

She groaned as she opened it. "I'm sick of stairs." She walked down them and came to a wall. She looked around, but there was no door. She inspected the wall carefully. She tapped it. "It sounds hollow…" An idea came to her head, and she ran up the stairs. At the top, she pulled out the Rocket Launcher and fired it at the wall. She walked down the stairs again and walked through the smoke.

She realized that she was on the second floor, in the one room with a window. Keeping her Cyclone close at hand, she peered out of the door. No one was around. Walking to the end of the hallway, she looked down both possible turns. The group had already come through, and was probably at the hangar. Faww was nowhere to be seen.

Joanna decided to turn and go down to the bottom floor. She opened the door to find that Faww was trying to sneak through this hallway. "Looking for someone?"

He jumped at hearing her voice, but then turned around. Her RCP-120 was in his hand. "I'm not worried about anyone that's still in here. They can't find me if they can't see me." He smiled and pulled the trigger, cloaking himself. A few seconds later he uncloaked, walking down the hall. "What the hell?"

Joanna laughed. "Ran out of ammo?"

Faww dropped the gun and pulled out a Crossbow. "Shit. I doubt that's just set for sedate." He turned and shot at her. She jumped to the side to avoid the first bolt, but the second hit her dead in the chest. She tried to pull up the gun as she fell, but he shot another bolt that hit her again. She fell to the ground, and he walked over, standing above her body. "Too bad. You should have known not to cross me."

An agent ran up to them. "Joanna, I was sent to-" Faww turned and fired two bolts, killing the man. He began to walk away, but was tripped. He started to get up, but Joanna beat him to it. This time, she stood over him, gun pointed. His eyes widened.

"How the hell…? I shot you! You should be dead!"

Joanna lifted up her shirt. "Body armor. Most people think it's obsolete. You really shouldn't let your guards just leave it lying around in a weapons locker."

"You bitch!" He shot his crossbow again, but nothing happened.

"I heard you shoot off five bolts. Guess you won't have time to put in more." Before she could fire, he jumped up and punched her in the face. She staggered back and he ran back to the door that led to the hangar. Before he got there, he turned right, opened a different door, and ran in.

Joanna checked her watch. "I really don't have time for these games." She ran to the door and opened it. Faww was on the other side, and he knocked the gun out of her hand. He tripped her and ran farther down the corridor, laughing. "Just try and catch up to me."

She got up and continued the chase. When she opened the door, he was standing at the base of a ramp, which led into a ship. "I wouldn't recommend taking another step," Faww said, holding up a small, remote-like device. "In order for this ship to leave, I have to open the hangar doors. When I do, space will suck out all of the oxygen, as well as everything in the room. Including you. So, just turn around, retreat back to your friends, and I might let you live long enough to get back down to Earth."

Joanna took a step forward, her fists clenched. He held up the device triumphantly, backing into the ship. She stopped for a moment, then took out one of the bolts and threw it at Faww. It hit him, but he had no armor to protect himself. He pressed the button before he fell to the ground, dead.

The hangar doors opened slowly, beginning to suck out the air. Faww's body flew out, but before Joanna's could, Jonathan and Velvet grabbed her from behind. It only took seconds before they both lost it and let go. All three began to fly out to space. Jonathan spied a control panel against the wall, and shot it with his magnum. The doors stopped and instead began to close. All three hit the door right after it had closed completely.

After hitting the door hard, they crumpled to the ground. All three of them took a few breaths of air before they could talk. "Th-thank you." Joanna's voice sounded almost raspy.

Jonathan swallowed. "I proved again that I'm a better shot with my magnum." He managed to smile. "As much as I'd love to sit here, we don't have time. We have secured a ship, so we need to get out. The systems are already starting to overload." As if on cue, the lights sparked and went out. They got up and ran to the door. The first two opened slowly, but the door to the hangar wouldn't open at all.

"The door systems have failed completely. How are we going to get out now?" Velvet asked.

"Wait a second… all of our agents can communicate with each other!" Joanna pressed the button next to her ear. "Can anybody in the hangar hear me?"

"Sure Joanna. What d'you need?"

"The door to get into the hangar won't open. Can you do something about it?"

"No problem. Just stand back."

She was about to question what this meant when she heard a rocket go off. All three pairs of eyes widened. They ran backward as the missile hit the door with a loud explosion. The shockwave blew them back onto the floor, and they all let out a pained groan. When the smoke cleared, one of the surviving CI agents stepped through the hole. The ship behind him was pointed at it. "Y'all alright?"

"Yeah, fine." Jonathan helped the girls up. "As much fun as this has all been, let's just get the hell out of here," Joanna added.

The agent ran and the others staggered to the ship and up the ramp. The pilot fired up the engines, blasted another hole through the larger hangar doors, and flew out. They could see from behind that the satellite was taking in more and more energy, and Ray had been right: it soon imploded. The ship shook, again from the shockwave, but remained unharmed.

"Well, I'm glad all of that is over," Velvet commented.

Joanna stretched out in her seat. "All I can say is, Carrington better give me a very long vacation when we get back."


End file.
